Heat
by LeaO'Neill
Summary: Tony must take a witness on a cross country journey where they might just find each other...again


"It's damn hot."

Tony DiNozzo hated the heat. Sweat was running down the middle of his back. He really hated that. To name a few other things he hated: stakeouts, small, un-air-conditioned apartments, and stale take out. What he didn't hate was the beautiful woman looking out the window with binoculars. She didn't even look like she was sweating. How did she do that?

"Aren't you hot?"

"I am."

"You don't look hot. Well, I mean, you always look hot , but I mean you don't look like you're suffering like I am."

"I spent most too many years in the desert to notice a few days of warm temperatures here."

"A constant mystery to me you are Ziva."

"Thank you," the former Mossad officer replied.

He didn't take the time to explain that it wasn't really a compliment.

"Is that the woman?" Ziva asked, looking at someone across the street on the balcony.

DiNozzo looked through his own binoculars. He saw a tall, blond woman with tan legs, white shorts and a blue tank top. "oh yeah. That's her."

A pang of familiarity hit him somewhere between his throat and stomach. He remembered those legs…the pretty woman, just barely more than a girl, in a long green dress, his letterman jacket draped around her shoulders, summer breeze ruffling her hair as the Ohio State Buckeyes football team celebration raged inside the stadium….

Ziva elbowed Tony. "Roll your tongue back up in your head."

"It's 'put you eyes back in your head' and they're not out. She's a good looking woman, that's all. I haven't seen her in a long time.

"And a suspect."

"Not a suspect. A witness."

"A witness to the murder of a man she protected for a long time. He was a drug dealer and a killer. Should I go on?"

Tony shrugged and made a face. "I know all that. But he held her prisoner too. For at least six months after she found out what he was. And after she turned states evidence against him AND is willing to be used as 'bait' for this little operation, well I think she should get some credit."

Ziva did not say anything. She knew a little of Tony's former 'relationship' with Nicola Martin-Ramsey. Very little. But she suspected it was more than Tony let on, that she had been a date for some big football event in college.

It was several hours and no action later that Gibbs called.

"Get your witness off the grid DiNozzo," Gibbs said, his voice deathly serious. "Don't care how you get her to Pendleton, as long as it's by Thursday. I don't want to know. No phones, no credit cards, no trail. Got it?"

"I got it boss. She'll be there. No worries."

"Someone has to," Gibbs sighed. "If you get in a real jam, find me."

And with that, Gibbs broke the connection.

That was that. DiNozzo knew what Gibbs meant. The less people who knew where Nicola was, the better chance she'd get there alive.

DiNozzo left his cell phone inside his car locked up Dulles' long term parking.

Nicki waited, duffle bag in hand.

"When's our flight?"

"No flight," DiNozzo said. "C'mon."

"We're not flying?"

DiNozzo was already heading toward the bus stop. Nicki hurried to keep up with his long stride. "Nope."

"Please tell me we're not riding the bus all the way across country? I did that once. I hate the bus."

"We'll get there," He only said, cryptically as they entered the city bus.

They took the city bus to the Greyhound bus depot. There, they boarded a bus for Memphis TN.

4 hours later…

"Look," Tony said to the side of Nickis' head as she stared out the window. "it's like another 7 hours till we get there. I'm finished with Johnny Carson's biography, I'm tired of solitaire on my PDA, c'mon Nicki, I'm bored here. I'm not enjoying this anymore than you are. Can we at least talk?"

She finally looked at him. "What do you want to talk about DiNozzo?"

He shrugged, just glad to have her finally look at him. "You want to talk about why we're here?" She shook her head.

"ok, well then, why didn't you finish law school? You seemed like you were doing real well."

"I was doing alright. I just got burned out. I was working two jobs and trying to study…five years of school and three more to go, it overwhelmed me. The Marine Corp was an escape. It was nothing that anyone ever expected from me and I guess a good way to let everyone down who expected so much from me. I could blame the Corp, take a little of the heat off me."

She eyed him quizzically then. "What about you, Mr hot shot basketball/ football, all American Alpha Chi Delta? As I recall, you did ok. What made you go into NCIS?"

Tony shrugged. "Long story. I kinda bounced around after college."

"Got your Phys Ed degree?"

He nodded. "Then I went to Peoria PD, Philly PD, stayed at Baltimore PD a couple of years. Then I got this. Dumb luck I guess."

"I heard your uncle passed away. Sorry."

Another shrug. How did this conversation he'd started by asking about her turn on him so quickly?

"Are you still into movies?"

"I consider myself a connoisseur of film."

"Yeah, ok," Nicki said with a muffled laugh. "I remember your favorite flick for awhile was 'Weekend at Bernie's', not exactly fine art."

He made a face. ":Hey, it's a classic."

Sometime later Nicki had drifted off into a restless sleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Tony stared at her awhile, his mind drifting back again….

A local band was playing at the sea side pavilion; the boardwalk was filled up with tourists and spring break youths. A younger Anthony Di Nozzo walked alongside a petite brunette on the beach. She carried her shoes in one hand, the other wrapped around his arm. She wore a flowing red gauzy summer dress. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a Hawaiian print tee shirt. Her laugh was infectious and her smile lit up the evening dusk….

Why had they broken up? Tony wondered. He couldn't remember. Probably because he was a jerk. That was the answer that came foremost into his mind. Was it worth dwelling on? She hadn't brought it up after all, the past, he had. He wondered if she even remembered, had the same memories he did, or looked back on them in the same pleasant light.

10 hours later…

The bus arrived in Memphis across the street from a small diner called Maude's that had a 70's décor and blue vinyl booths. Memphis was no cooler than DC had been, in fact the humidity held in the city heat and made it feel like a sauna, even through the night. As soon as the two weary travelers stepped off the air conditioned Greyhound, the heat and muggy air hit them like a slap with a wet towel.

Tony was glad to be off that damn bus. He smelled like sweat, spearmint gum and old lady perfume. Nicki had slept some, but mainly stared blankly out the window.

"Lets get something to eat," he suggested. "Maybe you'll get in a better mood."

They carried their bags across the semi deserted street to the diner. It was after midnight.

"I doubt some bad diner food is going to improve my mood any more than getting shot at Tony," Nicki deadpanned. "But I could use a cigarette."

"I thought you quit."

"I did."

They sat at a booth inside Maude's. There were only a few other customers in the place at the late hour. A tired looking older woman took their orders and poured them both coffee.

"So, now what?" Nicki asked, pouring half a dozen cream packets into her coffee.

"We don't fly out of here until morning. Might as well head to the airport. It's public, safer."

Nicki nodded. "I suppose a shower's out of the question?"

Tony thought that the idea of a shower sounded great. "I think we can manage that."

They ate a late night breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash browns and the food was surprisingly good.

"You think we'll make it?" Nicki finally asked, halfway through her meal.

Tony knew she was more scared than she cared to let him know. Ramsey had obviously hurt her, physically that was apparent. But what he must have done to her mentally to shake her like this, he could only imagine. When he had met her years ago, she was cocky, brazen and self assured. Now she was a shell of what he remembered.

He looked deep into her green eyes. "Hey, it'll be ok. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, alright?"

She nodded.

After the meal, DiNozzo studied the airline schedules he'd downloaded before they left. He had airline, bus, train and rental car information for a variety of cities from Washington DC to Los Angeles. Along with those, he had identification in three different alias' and cash.

"Do you think it's a good idea to fly?" Nicki asked. "I mean, you're going to have to use your name and badge so you can check your weapons, right?"

Tony had though about that. It was a risk. "We're not going to fly all the way. But to get you to court by Thursday, we've got to make up some time. I doubt if anyone's tracked us here yet. It'll take some time for them to put two and two together, by then, we'll be clear of the airlines. Ramsey's people know we're headed to California, they just don't know how."

She nodded. She was still nervous about flying, but another couple of days on a bus didn't sound appealing at the moment either.

Maude's Café was attached to a truck stop gas station and gift shop. For five dollars a piece, Tony and Nicki were able to use the showers.

Nicki had bought herself a Graceland tee shirt in the gift shop which she changed into after a cool shower and felt at least somewhat better. She met Tony in the rest area after wards.

Damn she looked good, he thought when Nicki emerged from the women's showers in the white Graceland tee shirt and black shorts, her hair still damp and no makeup. She was gorgeous.

He gave her one of his smiles. "Better?"

She nodded.

"You ready to move?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Tony figured it was safer to get a spur of the moment flight, so at the airport, he checked the flights leaving soonest and found one at five am to Phoenix. He bought the plane tickets using cash and then he and Nicki sat in the Memphis airport to wait for the plane.

"So why did you ever hook up with someone like Ramsey anyway?" Tony asked, trying to make conversation.

Nicki shrugged. "I wasn't thinking. I was lost I guess. I didn't know what to do. Made some bad choices."

"Why didn't you stay in school? You were in pre law, doing good right?"

"Like I said Tony, I made some bad choices. We weren't all blessed with a trust fund." She immediately regretted her harsh words. "Sorry."

DiNozzo shrugged. "It's ok. I got a few breaks. But I got where I am on my own. I'm ok with my past."

"I wish I could say that."

She yawned.

"Well, look at it this way, you can make a fresh start now. DO anything you want."

"Yeah, right, After witness protection turns me into a secretary in Des Moines?"

"Nah. You're not the Des Moines type. Milwaukee, maybe."

"I don't want to think about that now."

Tony nodded.

"We got something Phil," the computer geek told his boss. After infiltrating the airlines computer system, he looked for any law enforcement checking weapons on any west bound flights. He got several hits. One was out of Chicago to LA. Too risky. He knew the NCIS agent wouldn't fly right into California. Another was from Memphis to Phoenix. That had to be DiNozzo and the bitch.

"Where?"

"Phoenix. Getting off the plane at 11 am."

"Get me someone in Phoenix." He was very anxious to greet his former wife.

Phoenix was 101 degrees at 11 am, which is when the flight from Memphis arrived. At least there was not so much humidity as in the south.

Tony didn't want to rent a car at the airport, so they took a cab to a motel. Nothing fancy. It was a motor inn, rooms opened directly to the parking lot. He'd have a better view all around. A small, mom and pop place that didn't stand out and wasn't too close to the airport.

He checked them in as Mr. and Mrs. Anthony DeAngelo, showing one of his alias I.D.s. Nicki couldn't help but smile.

They walked to the room, buying some beverages from the vending machine on the way.

"So, why didn't you and me ever give it another try?" He asked, finally, about half serious. The motel manager had obviously thought they were a couple. It was kind of cute.

"We're too much a like. We never got along. We still wouldn't."

"Why?" Tony returned.

"Because we'd never have anything significant to argue about. So we'd have to make up petty little things to fight about... And I'd always win."

He laughed. "No you wouldn't."

She grinned. "Yes I would," she bantered back.

He shook his head. No

"You see, we're arguing right now... And you started it."

He raised his eyebrow. "No I didn't. You did."

"Tony just let it go. If you're going to keep acting like this, I willso have to divorce you."

"Well, Do you want to have an argument? It could be our first as a married couple?"

"No."

Tony smiled, sipping his ice tea through a straw. "Yes you do."

"You're incorrigible Tony."

"But I'm such a snappy dresser, it makes up for all that."

Nicki laughed. "Please."

Tony could only fake a hurt look. "Damn, it's a good thing I have such high self esteem. That could've really hurt my feelings."

11pm

Nicolle slept fitfully. The heat kept her from restfulness, on the brink of sleep. The box fan in the open window only blew warm wind into the motel room. The sleeveless tee shirt she wore was already moist with sweat and she'd shed her shorts long ago leaving on only a scrap of cotton panties.

Tony wasn't doing much better. But his fitfulness was not only due to the heat, it was due to the fact that the witness he was supposed to be protecting slept next to him in a tight white tee shirt and panties. He lay perfectly still on the next bed, trying to pretend he didn't notice her bare tanned legs. He had shed his clothes long ago as well, being thankful for boxers. But as hard as he tried to keep his mind on the old Steve Martin movie on TV, his eyes and mind kept drifting to Nicki.

At some point, he must have drifted off a bit, because he awoke to the mewling sounds that Nicki was making on the other bed. She must have been having a bad dream. She was not crying out, but she tossed and turned and a sound somewhat like desperate terror came from her lips. Tony moved quickly to the bed.

"Sssshhhhh," he soothed, running a hand over her damp hair. "You're ok," he soothed. "It's ok."

After a few moments, she quieted again and her restless movements stopped.

He wondered if she was having a nightmare about Ramsey, the bastard. Tony looked at the fading bruises on her arm. Damn, how could he have hurt someone like her? Tony imagined she had fought back hard. She was like that, a fighter. They wouldn't have made it this far if she wasn't.

For some reason, he didn't go back to the other bed, but lay down beside Nicki. Maybe they could both get some needed rest. Sometimes just the mere presence of another body could lull one to sleep. He listened to her even breathing and was soon drifting off again.

3AM

Nicki awoke slightly. The night had finally begun to cool off. She had reached for the bed sheet and found….Tony? The Agent had apparently fallen asleep beside her. It was comforting. She pressed closer, and Tony involuntarily turned to spoon her, his arm resting around her. It wasn't uncomfortable and soon the couple sleep soundly as the cool air finally took over.

5AM

Tony shifted slightly, only to feel his hand come to rest inadvertently on a hip. A feminine hip. He vaguely remembered where he was and whom was sleeping next to him. Damn that soft skin felt good though. He couldn't help but caress the softness, the firm roundness below it, with barely a scrap of material covering the well formed ass that was rapidly making contact with his growing manhood. He tried to stop thinking about really good morning sex. That wasn't helping his growing problem.

Tony tried to chalk it up to a dream and started to roll over. He was stopped when Nicki pressed her bottom against him, as if to keep his hardness against her. He tried to pretend this was not on purpose.

His arm draped over her again and Nicki's fingers entwined with his.

Ok, was she initiating something? This wasn't right, a voice protested in DiNozzo's head.

His question was answered a moment later when her hand moved his hand to her breast. He lay there a moment, those last few doubts filling his mind, while she pressed his palm over her firm, round breast.

There was no denying his reaction to the contact and he thought Nicki moaned slightly, pressing her ass against him again.

He slightly squeezed the offered flesh under his hand. He felt her breath quickening. He immediately wanted skin then, and moved his hand to slip it under her shirt. She let him gain access to her bare breasts then. Her nipples were immediately responsive to his touch.

Tony began to kiss the back of her neck and shoulder, still spooning her. Nicki moaned and reached her hand back to stroke his leg and then found her way up, under the boxers. Tony fought the urge to bite down on her soft skin as her hand made electrifying contact with his erection.

Fully awake now, Tony rolled Nicki over to face him.

"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked, his breath coming in almost a gasp.

In return, she reached down and pulled off her tee shirt.

Hers were some of the most perfect breasts he'd ever seen. He was lost from further rational thought as he sought them with his hands and mouth.

Nicki writhed under his attack on her chest in pleasure. Tony was now on top of her, his legs on either side of her. She quickly changed that as she pushed one of her legs out, spreading around him and putting a foot on his back. With talented toes, she managed him out of his boxer shorts.

Not protesting a bit, Tony moved his way up to her mouth. Their tongues entwined and hungrily sought out each other. Nicki was breathing in short gasps, her excitement overtaking her. She cried into his mouth and pressed her body against him. Her nails dug into the flesh of his hips as she pulled him in.

Somehow, Tony managed to pry her Victoria's Secret panties off and his hand found her wanton wetness. Nicki almost felt herself come, just from the touch of his hand alone.

"Please!…" she begged in a heated whisper.

Tony moved over her, the head of his cock pushing into her warm wet depths.

"Yessss…." she cried.

She was going to rip him over the edge, her cries of passion and the wanting looks on her face. He struggled to maintain control as he slid fully inside her.

This was crazy! A voice resounded in his head. It was a far off voice.

Nicki brought her hips up to meet his thrust. Once, twice, he slid in and out of her and then Nicki was bucking in an unbridled orgasm under him. It was too much…he pulled out quickly as he lost what semblance of control he though he had and came all over her stomach and chest.

He started to murmur an apology, but only received her mouth. She kissed him as deeply as their ragged breathing would allow, and finally Tony collapsed face down beside her. What the hell was he going to say?

Nicki raised up and wiped herself off with the towel she'd used for her hair last night. Then she returned to him, straddling his thighs. She proceeded to give him the best massage he'd ever had outside a professional.

After half an hour of letting himself luxuriate under her skilled hands, he turned his head slightly.

"You ready for round two?"

"Most definitely."

She moved off him and he raised up, already beginning to get aroused again.

"I think-" he began. She put her hand to his lips.

"Lets not talk yet."

And then they were locked in another passionate embrace, both on their knees on the bed, arms around each other. Tony gently eased Nicki down to the mattress, spreading her legs as they went.

He began to kiss a trail down her neck, paying more close attention to her breasts, then worked his way down. He found her heat with his mouth this time, discovering she was fully aroused again. She was almost completely clean shaven and very wet and slippery. He used his tongue to drive her mad, teasing her clit and sliding inside her. He gently suckled and licked in tormenting circles until he felt her began to tighten under him, her breath gasping above. He focused his gentle lapping on her engorged clit, both his hands fondling her breasts, and soon she was again writhing under him in the throes of a powerful orgasm. He licked her juices until he was sure she was done then taking a moment to kiss his way back up her body.

He was fully hard again after all that and was more than ready to thrust back into her.

"I should get a condom." He reached for his pants.

Nicki pulled him back. "It's fine," she gasped, still recovering from the mind shattering orgasm.

"Yeah?" he wanted to be sure.

Nicki nodded.

And then he was inside her again. This time they shared a slow, rhythmic lovemaking, enjoying each other's bodies. He brought her to climax again, enjoying the power in which she came. Then, finally he felt his own release building. Nicki pulled him into her fiercely as he tried to pull out. With a final thrust, he buried himself and exploded inside her.

Later, after more sleep, comfortable and naked in each others' arms, Tony finally stirred, knowing they needed to move. Nicki opened her eyes as he shifted.

"Hey," he greeted.

She smiled. "hi."

"Uhmm," he began. "That was-"

"Totally uncalled for? Not part of the plan? Not a good idea? Bad timing?" She filled in about every blank he had thought of regarding their earlier amorous activities.

"Yeah, about all that."

"I know. And I'm sorry about that. But I'm not sorry it happened and I don't want you to be either. We needed it."

Tony held her against his chest in one arm and absently stroked her forearm.

"I just wish this could last forever," Nicki finally sighed. "Just this, us, here, somewhere."

Tony smiled. It was not an unwelcome fantasy, though impossible he knew. "What would you do in Yuma, Arizona?" Nicki smiled again, playing along. "Maybe be one of those call center ladies, taking orders for curtains all day."

"And me?"

"You could sell insurance. Or cars. You could make someone buy a car from you."

Tony chuckled. "And where we would live?"

"Mmm, a little apartment off the main drag with frilly bedroom curtains and a balcony where you'd cook on our hibachi grill. And a pool. It'd have to have a pool."

"Definitely," he agreed.

And they lay there a few moments longer, both of them in the fantasy world Nicki had painted, both knowing it couldn't last. But somewhere, deep down, there was a want inside both of them that wished it could.

Tony moved again, getting up this time, shattering the bubble of make believe. "We better get going."

He went into the bathroom and Nicki lay in bed a moment longer. It could have been good…

…A dimly lit gym, decorated with ribbons and banners, a disco ball, and the assorted balloons was the backdrop. A haunting woman's voice sang a melody

A man and woman swayed back and forth with the music; she wore a long green dress, he a tux; there were hundreds of other Buckeye Homecoming students there, but for just a few moments, as they gazed into one another's eyes, there seemed to be no one else around…

Just as it had been the early morning in the Arizona motel. Nicki sighed, looking at the closed bathroom door, listening to the sound of water running behind it. Too bad it was all a pretend moment in the Arizona heat.


End file.
